Dispensing apparatus



P 1965 o. s. REID ETAL 3,206,084

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed May 9, 1963 0770 5 @5/0 65424 5 FQAHM SH/Pf) 5. [PAI /M INVENTORS.

United States Patent 3,206,084 DISPENSING APPARATUS Otto '5. Reid, La Canada, and Carl E. Frahm and Shirley E. Frahm, Arcadia, Calif. (all of 339 W. Maple Ave., Monrovia, Calif.)

Filed May 9, 1963, Ser. No. 279,167 Claims. (Cl. 222-481) The present invention relates to improved means and techniques useful in dispensing liquids from a container.

A feature of the present invention involves a construction of parts, attachable to a container such as screwthreaded bottle, for dispensing liquid from such a bottle supported on its side with its neck extending generally horizontally. This feature is obtained using a construction wherein a faucet is universally and sealingly mounted within a communicating cap member which is threadable on the neck of the bottle and which incorporates venting means extending from the cap member into the bottle for assuring uniform fluid flow.

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide means and techniques for accomplishing the aboveindicated results.

Another object of the invention is to provide means and techniques of this character in which the aforementioned results are accomplished by simple, inexpensive assembly of parts involving mainly the use of plastic materials.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly readily mountable on the neck of the bottle for dispensing liquids therefrom while the bottle is supported on its side and with its neck extending either gen erally horizontally or tilted.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is generally a sectional view through an assembly embodying features of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view in elevation of the structure shown in FIGURE 1 and serves to illustrate the manner in which the faucet portion of the assembly may be tilted with respect to the associated cap member.

Referring to the drawings, the assembly embodying the present invention is illustrated in FIGURE 1 screwthreadedly mounted on the neck portion 8 of the bottle 9 Which contains liquids desired to be dispensed. It will be seen that the neck portion 8 has its axis extending generally horizontally, but the bottle may be supported otherwise such that the neck portion 8 has its axis tilted somewhat with respect to the horizon, whereby the entire flow of all liquid within the bottle 9 may be assured.

The assembly embodying the invention involves generally a cap member 11 and a faucet member 11 which are universally secured together in a sealing manner by a ball-and-socket-type connection 12.

The cap member has an internally screw-threaded portion 10A with screw threads matching the threads on the neck portion 8 and such threaded portion 10A terminates at the internally shouldered portion 10B adapted to engage the end of the bottle to seal the same. In some cases, it may be desired to place a gasket between such shouldered portion 10B and the adjacent end of the bottle 8.

The cap member 10 is formed with an internal enlarged portion 100 having a bore 10E therein adapted to 3,206,084 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 snugly receive one end of the vent tube 14 which extends internally within the bottle so that such interior may be vented at all times through the tube 14, bore 10B and the communicating bore 10F extending through a side wall of the cap member 10. Also, the cap member 10 is formed with an internal annular bead 10G which is generally rounded in cross-section and the same engages the ball or bulbous portion 11A of the faucet member; and such bulbous portion 11A is continuously pressed into engagement with such annular bead 10G by the inturned flange portion 10H on the end of the cap member 10.

The faucet member 11, having the ball or bulbous portion 11A, is provided with a manually operable valve which comprises an annular valve seat 11B and a manually operable closure member 11C, the valve seat 11B being at all times in communication with the interior of the cap portion 10 through the annular passageway 11D.

The closure member 11C is a hemispherically shaped resilient member, for example, of rubber or like material, secured on an intermediate portion of one leg 16A of a generally U-shaped wire-actuating member 16 having its other leg 16B extending upwardly through an enlarged opening 11B and mounting a washer 17 and a button 18, the button 18 being slidably received within the enlarged apertured portion 11F within which is disposed a coil compression spring 18 for normally seating the closure member against the seat 11B. For this latter purpose, the spring 18 has one of its ends abutting the washer 17 on the wire leg 16B and the other one of its ends abutting the body of the faucet member 11.

It will be seen from this construction that the faucet member 11 may be adjustably positioned within the cap member 10 to allow positioning of the faucet member 11 with respect to the bottle 9 on which the cap member 10 is threaded. In effecting this adjustment, it will be observed that the same is accomplished without changing the position of the vent tube 14.

One of the features of the invention is the inexpensive construction of the universal type of connection between the cap member and the faucet member. This is accomplished using polystyrene as the material of which the contacting parts of the faucet and cap members consist. In assembly, the ball-shaped portion 11A is inserted against the bead member 10G, after which the flanged portions 10H are formed against the ball portion 11A such that the ball portion 11A is pressed against the bead portion 106 at all times by the flanged portion 10H to provide a fluid-type seal between the bead 10G and the ball portion 11A.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the same spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. Dispensing means of a character described comprising a cap member having an internally threaded portion for receiving the neck of a bottle, a vent tube carried on said cap member, passageway means in said cap member communicating one end of said tube to the atmosphere through a wall of said cap member, and a faucet member universally and sealingly connected to said cap member, said faucet member incorporating a normally closed valve and a manually operable means mechanically connected to and extending from said valve for operating said valve.

2. Dispensing apparatus of the character described comprising a cap member intercommunicating with a fancet member, means universally and sealingly connecting said faucet member to said cap member, vent means carried by said cap member, said cap member having a passageway thereto communicating with said vent means, said faucet member incorporatinga normally closed valve and a manually operable means mechanically connected to and extending from said valve for operating said valve.

3. Dispensing apparatus of the character described comprising a cap member, said cap member having an internally threaded portion for attachment to a threaded 10 member, said intercommunicating means comprising a neck of the bottle, said cap member having an enlarged internal portion, a vent tube having one of its ends extending into said enlarged portion, conduit means extending through a wall of said cap member to said end of said vent tube, said cap member having an internal annular bead, a faucet member having a bulbous portion engaging said bead, and said cap member having an internal flange portion in engagement with said bulbous portion and pressing the same into sealing engagement with said head, said faucet member incorporating a normally closed valve and a manually operable means mechanically connected to and extending from said valve for operating said valve.

4. Dispensing apparatus of the character described comprising a faucet member, a cap member, said cap member having means incorporated therein for attachment to a container, vent means carried on said cap member for venting the interior of the said container to the atmosphere, and a universal sealing connection between said cap member and said faucet member, said universal-type connection comprising a bulbous portion on one of the members and a pair of spaced flanged portions on the other of said members engaging said bulbous portion to provide a universal connection and seal between said members, said faucet member incorporating a normally closed valve and a manually operable 5 means mechanically connected to and extending from said valve for operating said valve.

5. Dispensing apparatus of the character described comprising a cap member, a faucet member, means intercommunicating said faucet member with said cap universal and sealing-type connection between said cap member and said faucet member, said universal-type connection comprising a bulbous portion on one of said members, and a pair of annular spaced portions on the 15 other member contacting said bulbous portion to provide a seal between said members, said faucet member incorporating a normally closed valve and a manually operable means mechanically connected to and extending from said valve for operating said valve.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. DISPENSING MEANS OF A CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A CAP MEMBER HAVING AN INTERNALLY THREADED PORTION FOR RECEIVING THE NECK OF A BOTTOLE, A VENT TUBE CARRIED ON SAID CAP MEMBER, PASSAGEWAY MEANS IN SAID CAP MEMBER COMMUNICATING ONE END OF SAID TUBE TO THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH A WALL OF SAID CAP MEMBER, AND A FAUCET MEMBER UNIVERSALLY AND SEALINGLY CONNECTED TO SAID CAP MEMBER, SAID FAUCET MEMBER INCORPOATING A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE AND A MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS MECHANICALLY CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDING FROM SAID FOR OPERATING SAID VALVE. 